1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a heat-generating device using the heat of absorption, a kind of energy generated by a difference in concentration, which a solution produces upon absorbing a solvent vapor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, heating or warming means utilize the heat of combustion of fossil fuels such as petroleum and coal or the Joule's heat due to an electrical energy either directly or indirectly through a heat medium. When fossil fuels are used, their large amounts of heat generation often cause accidents of fire or damages or injuries such as burns. Furthermore, burning of these fossil fuels produces toxic gases or causes oxygen deficiency. This leads to air pollution, and is liable to induce gas poisoning. Hence, this way of generating heat lacks safety. In addition, fuels must be incessantly replenished, and the cost of the fuels has risen year by year owing to the scarcity of resources. On the other hand, the utilization of an electrical energy is safe because the amount of heat generation is relatively small. But it has the defect of requiring a high cost of running.
In recent years, an energy based on a difference in concentration has attracted attention as one substitute for such fossil fuels and electrical energy. The energy based on a difference in concentration denotes an energy which is generated as the concentration of a substance varies. As a heat phenomenon, it appears in the form of heat of mixing which is generated or absorbed when two substances are mixed. This heat of mixing is called the heat of dissolution, the heat of dilution or the heat of absorption according to the phases of the substances to be mixed. Among them, the heat of absorption owing to mixing of a gas and a liquid has previously been utilized in an absorption-type heating and cooling system.
The principle of the conventional absorption-type heating and cooling system is shown in FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings. Generally, this system is comprised of a concentration chamber V for concentrating an aqueous solution by solar heat or waste heat, an absorption chamber W for causing the concentrated solution formed in the concentration chamber V to absorb steam thereby generating the heat of absorption, a condenser chamber X for liquefying the steam generated from the concentration chamber V, and an evaporation chamber Y for gasifying pure water formed in the condenser chamber X and supplying steam to the absorption chamber W. Cooling is performed by utilizing the heat of gasification generated in the evaporation chamber Y, and heating is carried out by the heat of absorption generated in the absorption chamber W. Since this system is constructed by independently providing the concentration chamber V, the absorption chamber W, the condenser chamber X and the evaporation chamber Y, and connecting them to each other by pipings, the system becomes large in scale and its heat efficiency is low.